February 17 - Henri Vieuxtemps (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 17th are here: Arcangelo Corelli (2020), Banjo Paterson (2021), Arcangelo Corelli (2022), Edward German (2023), Ed Sheeran (2024), and Margaret Truman; Friedrich Cerha (2026)

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Henri Vieuxtemps (17 February 1820 – 6 June 1881) was a Belgian composer and violinist.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Tones

Vieuxtemps is also known for owning and playing what is now referred to as the Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesù. – Wikipedia 

The reported 2012 purchase price of the "Vieuxtemps" violin exceeded $16m (£10.5m). – derived from Wikipedia, s.v. "Vieuxtemps Guarneri"

Henri Vieuxtemps owned a great violin

   That was made by Giuseppe Guarieri,

So it's safe to imagine, that to his chagrin,

The Questions and Answers would always begin:

   "So, is it expensive?"  – "Yes, very!"

 

 

 

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February 16 - Vera-Ellen (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 16th are here: Alec Wilder (2020), Sonny Bono (2021), Johann Strauss III (2022), Johann Strauss III (2023), Patty Andrews (2024), and Johann Strauss III (2025)

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Vera-Ellen (16 February 1921 – 30 August 1981) was an American dancer, actress, and singer. She is best known for her starring roles in On the Town (1949) and White Christmas (1954). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief Bio

Dancing actress Vera-Ellen

Found some roles she could excel in;

She danced a lot, and sang a bit,

White Christmas was her biggest hit.

 

 

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February 15 - Jacob Kimball Jr. (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 15th are here: John Adams (2020), Harold Arlen (2021), Georges Auric; Jean Langlais (2022), Henry Engelhard Steinway (2023), Harold Arlen (2024), and Walter Donaldson; Harold Arlen (2025)

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Jacob Kimball Jr. (15 February 1761 - 24 July 1826) was one of the first American composers.  He played fife and drum in the American Revolutionary War and participated in Battle of Lexington and Bunker Hill. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds of Freedom 1

In this quarter-millennial year

I'm using these verses to cheer

This man who played fife

And drum in the strife

Which created the land we hold dear.

 

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Sounds of Freedom 2 

In this our semi-quincentennial year

I'd like to take a solemn moment here
To sing the praise of Jacob Kimball Junior,

Who made the bloody battlefield tunier

With stirring music on the fife and drum,

And helped to found that land that would become

These great United States, freed from the bond

Of rule by George the Third across the Pond.

 

 

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February 14 - Florence Henderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 14th are here: Renée Fleming (2020), Aida Overton Walker (2021), Francesco Cavalli; Alexander Dargomyzhsky (2022), Francesco Cavalli; Fernando Sor (2023), Michael Costa; Irving Gordon (2024), and Víkingur Ólafsson; Fred Scott (2025)

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Florence Henderson (14 February 1934 – 24 November 2016) was an American singer and actress. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

She debuted on Broadway in the musical Wish You Were Here in 1952, and later starred on Broadway in the long-running 1954 musical, Fanny (888 performances) in which she originated the title role. – Wikipedia

The Brady Bunch defined her career,

So some forget, or very near,

Her talents in another sphere;

Neglecting how she, year by year,

Would go to Broadway and appear,

With Playbills as a souvenir.

I'd never criticize or jeer

At Carol Brady, and won't smear

A sitcom mom whose so sincere;

Nor never would I want to sneer

At TV shows that some revere.

I only want to make it clear

Why Florence Henderson is here,

Where music is the subject we're

Commit strictly to adhere

To when we give a birthday cheer.

 

 

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February 13 - Ignaz Friedman (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 13th are here: Eileen Farrell (2020), Dale Wood (2021), Feodor Chaliapin (2022), Leopold Godowsky (2023), Eileen Farrell (2024), and Tennessee Ernie Ford (2025)

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Ignaz Friedman (13 February 1882 – 26 January 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer, widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the early twentieth century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then and Now: Two Variations on a Theme of Friedman

Like many pianists of his era with outsize personalities, [Friedman's] interpretations stemmed from putting his own feelings about a particular work before those of the composer. – Jeremy Nicholas, at gramophone.co.uk

Then 

In piano recitals of yore

A pianist's respect for the score

Was considered less vital

Than to play the recital

As no one had played it before.

 

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Now

When the Urtext is seen as essential,

And the stance toward the score reverential,

To change it ad lib

Seems distressingly glib,

And damningly undeferential.

 

 

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February 12 - Josef Reicha; Thomas Campion (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 12th are here: Thomas Campion (2020), (2021), Thomas Campion; Julian Scriabin (2022), Thomas Campion; Roy Harris (2023), Thomas Campion (2024), and Jan Ladislav Dussek (2025)

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Josef Reicha (12 February 1752 – 5 March 1795) was a Czech cellist, composer, and conductor. He was the uncle of composer and music theorist Anton Reicha.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best in Class

In 1785 Josef Reicha was made director of the orchestra in Bonn. The members included the young Beethoven, who played viola and organ. – adapted from Wkipedia 

Music scholar Ludwig Schiedermair in 'Der junge Beethoven' gave specific examples taken from Reicha's partitas and symphonies and said that these works influenced Beethoven. – Wikipedia

Was Reicha dyspeptic and cross

As Beethoven's musical boss,

Or did the man know

That young Ludwig would grow

To make gold from his musical dross?

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪   

Thomas Campion (12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was a composer, poet, and physician.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sing Ye

If thou should'st on an amorous eve prepare

To serenade with song thy ladye faire,

Then list to my advice, thou doughty champion,

And sing the daintye songs of Thomas Campion.